1. It takes years to gain professional experience and expertise in the communications industry. Share with us how your past experiences have shaped who you are today.
CJS: I have been shaped by both people and industries. I have had some amazing mentors - some who didn’t even realise that they were real mentors to me. Experience has always come from being thrown in the deep end, and it being a sink-or-swim experience. I started as an Academic Tutor at the University of Auckland when I was 18 - perhaps one of the youngest to be put in such a position. I had something to prove. I had a career for forge. And that I did. As I moved up the ‘education ladder’ from Tutor to Lecturer to Senior Lecturer to Head of Department to Principal - I listened, observed, asked questions, and simply did what I had to in order to succeed.
Then came business. I was fortunate that I lectured business subjects, so the textbook approach gave me a skeletal framework - but the truth is, the textbook tells us nothing! I learnt through doing, and through asking for counsel and feedback along the way. I made mistakes. I learnt from them. I didn’t make them again.
As I moved more into the Communications industry, I was fortunate enough to have Farrell as my business partner - he offered me the skills that I didn’t have, and I hope vice-versa too!
The reality though, nothing is too hard, and everything can be tried. We must give ourselves permission to step outside of our comfort zones and try something new. This is the only way to learn, and in my opinion, it is the best way.
FT: The thing about life is that you can plan as much as you want, but more often than not, things don't go according to plan. I never planned on being in communications; I just knew that I wanted to be in an industry which would allow to be who I am. I think my parents wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer (obviously), but I knew from an early age that I'm not cut out for a 'professional' job. Fast forward 20 years, and I've BECOME a professional -- just a different type.
So, I started in advertising (also by chance) as an Ad Executive, and I then moved into event management, before I was 'introduced' to PR by my mentor, a lady called Ann Kwan. I think she saw someone who, again, did not really 'fit' into a particular box within communications, but knew that this would be the right industry for me. My understanding of PR (at the time) was relegated to what I had read or via the people I had met. I was thrown into the deep end, had to learn to swim quickly.
Luckily for me, I was a quick learner (still am), and before long, not only did I understand the industry enough to be able to pitch and win a few new accounts for the Agency I was with at the time, I was also able to establish strong contacts with media professionals, which until today, are friends of mine, who I occasionally call upon for work-related advice or assistance. From then on, I was headhunted from one position to another, working on brands that I never thought I'd be able to work on, until I met Craig who convinced me to give it a go as an entrepreneur.
In between all that, and prior to starting Orchan Consulting Asia, I was freelancing for a little while (as I needed a little break from the industry) so I already had 'experience' working for myself. There wasn't a 'light bulb' moment which led to the setting up of Orchan, but more a series of (I'd like to say serendipitous) moments which led to me waking up and thinking... 'I have to do this now (before I get too old) or I'll never know if I have what it takes to make it on my own'. So that's how I came to be.
2. What does it take to be an entrepreneur or organisational leader in this industry?
FT: Ask anyone in this industry, and they'll tell you that you need patience, perseverance, passion and the confidence in yourself to know that you do have something to offer. I personally think that you need all that AND thick skin because you're going to be told 'NO' time and time again. This isn't an industry for the faint of heart. It's constantly evolving i.e. changing, and you need to get with the times or you'll be left behind. This is why, when we set up Orchan, we knew that our proposition needed to centre around change being the ONLY constant in life.
CJS: Big b……! OK, kidding. It takes patience. Nothing happens overnight, and that which does is often very short-lived. It certainly takes passion, and a desire to do things differently - creating new experiences for clients, team members, and ourselves.
3. As Metanoia specialises in managing change, reputation, and Communication; how do you engage with potential clients in building a strong business strategy?
CJS: Clients either seek reassurance that they are on the right track, or someone who can put them on to the right track. Engaging with clients is both on a personal level - the synergy must be there in order for trust to develop - and a business level - by understanding the ins and outs of their business as much, if not more, than they do. A sound audit of the clients business will help to understand the brand, the processes, and the areas of opportunity that are currently being under-utilised. This is always a first step.
FT: Agreed. What has always worked for us is the 'personal touch'. I mean, we both get involved in the projects we work on. We don't have the luxury of having a huge team who would do the work, while we develop business. We develop business AND we head the projects ourselves. Clients seem to really like that.
4. Do you perceive failure as an essential ingredient in achieving business success? Are there ways to avoid reaching ‘failure’ before success?
CJS: Yes, we all fall over as we learn to walk. Life is not a 100% walk in the park. Just as we as entrepreneurs have to understand each step in our business journey, including that of what our teams experience, we also have to experience some form of failure or rejection. This makes us normal.
There are ways to minimise risk; but these are intuitively embedded in us as we develop and learn from our and others mistakes.
FT: Again, you'll never learn unless you fail. Whilst you can work hard to ensure that you minimise risk or failure, there will be things you'll never be able to predict. The most important thing is that when it happens, you learn from it, and you never let it happen to you again. It's not rocket science -- it's, well, life.
5. “What comes easy, won’t last. What lasts, won’t come easy.” What are your thoughts on the saying?
FT: Nothing in life comes without a 'cost' attached to it. Even the most influential or rich entrepreneurs have had to endure some form of hardship in order to get to where they are. A lot of times, people only see the end results. They don't see the mistakes or sacrifices made to get them there.
CJS: Fully agree! Hard work has always been, and will continue to be, the number one mindset required for achievement.
6. What are the significant challenges that you encountered for your role, or your entrepreneurial journey? And, how did you live through the breakthroughs and challenges?
CJS: For me, the shift from academia to consulting was a huge change. I was fortunate that my early consulting opportunities were in the tertiary education sectors, but there was still a lot to learn. I had to learn the financial side of business. I had to learn how to interact with people far more intelligent and experienced than myself. I had to learn how to hold my own. And I had to learn where to draw lines - this was perhaps the toughest learning curve of the lot.
FT: For me, it was getting used to doing everything myself. In my 'previous' life, I only needed to worry about my role within the company. With Orchan and now Metanoia, I have to worry about EVERYTHING. Luckily for us, we do have a good team, which I think, is reflection of who are, as bosses / business owners, and type of consultants we wish to be for our Clients.
7. How do you stay ahead of the game in the industry?
CJS: I read a lot. I talk to a lot of people. And I get involved in the industry at different levels. I listen closely to experienced clients and I learn from them.
FT: Likewise. I think you need to read, interact and learn as much about different industries as possible. We've been quite adamant about doing different things that interest us; and not being pigeon-holed. As a result of that, we're able to undertake (nearly) everything that comes our way. It's more a matter of a project piquing our interest in order for us to work on it.
8. What would be your best advice for other passionate entrepreneurs to continuously build and improve their business strategies, and to develop better brand building?
FT: Never stop learning. And never worry about asking for help. It's better to admit that you don't know something, and learn from the person you're asking help from, than to pretend that you're omnipotent.
CJS: There is more to being an entrepreneur than just having a great product / idea. Step back and learn. Be open-minded, and be willing to accept advice. Don’t be too stubborn - but equally, don’t roll over like a puppy.
Image Source:
(1) faith.com
(2) thesimplechic.com
(3) toddstocker.com
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